It Must Have Been The Mistletoe
by SSidle
Summary: What would happen if the team spent Christmas at a ski resort?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a holiday fic that was inspired by the song "It Must Have Been The Mistletoe" by Barbara Streisand. I know it's a bit early for a Christmas story, but I just couldn't help myself.

It Must Have Been The Mistletoe 

"Come on Gil, you've got to go!"

"Catherine, how long have you known me? What would make you think that I would got to a ski resort in the mountains?"

"You never know, it could be fun."

"The insects even avoid the snow, why wouldn't I?"

You are impossible, you know that Gil?"

"Why thank you."

Catherine shook her head and left the office. Grissom continued to sit at his desk staring off into space: debating whether or not to join the others on their holiday getaway. _On one hand_, he thought, _I would be able to severely anger Conrad; but I hate the snow and the lack of privacy_. Griss' thoughts were interrupted when Jim Brass walked in.

"Gil, you're going on this trip whether you like it or not."

"Jim, I can't."

"Why?"

"Do you not see the problems that could arise?"

"Problems with what Gil?"

"HER!"  
"Why do you automatically assume that she'd try something?"

"Jim, it's not her I'm worried about!"

"Oh. But honestly Gil, what harm could it do to let your guard down for a few days?"

"Other than destroy the calm professionalism that I've worked so hard to maintain around her? What if something happens that we'll both regret later?"

"Do you really think that you'd regret it?"

"Of course. A relationship between us is just out of the question."

"Gil, I just don't get you. Why do you habitually deny yourself what you want? And don't tell me that you don't want that. I won't be fooled."

"Now you're sounding like her. It just can't happen. I can't go."

"Forget it, you're impossible!"

With that Brass turned on his heel and stalked out of the office.

Grissom still sat at his desk, fuming. He was still torn. He knew that the trip would be good for everyone, including himself (but he didn't want to admit as much). But he just didn't want to risk something happening between Sara and him. He knew that the atmosphere up there would definitely be conducive to such a thing happening and that was just too dangerous. _What am I going to do?_

A/N: I have more, but I need to know if it's any good before I post. All reviews are welcome and appreciated.


	2. Sara, you're a genius!

The rest of the group, meanwhile, was gathered in the breakroom. They were brainstorming ways to convinc Griss to go to the lodge with them for Christmas. No one could come up with anything short of kidnapping him. Then Brass told them what Gil's excuse to him had been. This did not please Sara at all. She abruptly got up and left the room.

"Sara, where are you going?" Nick asked.

"Can't a girl go to the powder room?" Sara raplied in a sickly-sweet voice.

As she walked out, the others all looked at one another. Nobody believed her. They all knew that she was going to talk to Grissom, and that it wasn't going to be pretty.

"YOU SELFISH BASTARD! How dare you ruin everyone's plans!"

Sara had stormed into his office in a rage. He was struggling to keep his cool, he'd been thinking about her, and then she had appeared in his offiuce door, ready to bite his head off.

"How exactly did I riun everyone's plans?"

"We're supposed to go all together. And in order to be all together, we need to be _all together_! Otherwise, there's no point!"

"Well, you'll just have to live with it!"

"You…You…You **GRINCH**! Not only have you skrewed up all of our plans, you're going to really hurt Lindsey!"

"What about Lindsey?"

"It was her idea for you to go in the first place. She really wanted her 'Uncle Grissom' to go too. So much for that! But, you're going to have to be the one to tell her."

After that, Grissom was even more torn. He loved Lindsey, and wanted to make her happy; but he still had major doubts about the whole thing.

"Fine, I'll go, but I'm only going to make Lindsey happy."

As Sara sterted to walk out, Grissom said, "By the way, if you're going to name-call, you might want to come up with something better than grinch."

Sara just turned and glared at him before leaving.

As she walked back into the break room, she looked at the others and said, "Done."

Of course everyone wanted to know how she'd done it.

"I brought up how upset Lindsey would be if her 'Uncle Grissom' didn't go."

"Oooh, low blow, Sara.", commented Warrick.

"Sara, you're a genius!", said Greg.

"Wow, I didn't even think of that, and Lindsey's my daughter!" complemented Catherine.

"All that's left to do now is ruin Ecklie's day and get ready to go!" Sofia finally piped up.

No one missed the look Nicky gave her, but they all wondered what it meant.

"Well, are we going or not?"

Everyone jumped at the sound of Grissom's voice coming from the doorway.

"Let's go!" they all said, and headed out the door.

A/N: Sorry that my chapters are so short. There is a method to my madness. They should get longer eventually. It'll be a songfic later on. Thanks to all of you who sent reviews, it really helps.


	3. Sticking It To Ecklie

A/N: I know, another short chapter, but I'm posting more than one today.

Conrad Ecklie looked up, confused as the large group crammed into his office. He wasn't entirely sure that he was going to enjoy their visit.

"Can I help you with something?"

Catherine, having the best relationship with Ecklie, had been delegated the one to tell him.

"We're taking our vacation, starting tomorrow."

"One, it's Thursday, I need more notice before anyone takes vacation. Two, who exactly do you mean by 'we'?" He said, looking at the group.

"All of us."

"You've got to be kidding me, I cannot allow an entire shift to be gone at once."

"No, I'm not kidding, we're going. Besides, we've been dead here for weeks, you won't miss us that much."

"If you go, I have the authority to fire all of you."

"Conrad, if you don't think you can handle a few days without us, what makes you think you could function indefinitely?"

"I can assume there's nothing that I could say that will stop you?"

"Just think of it as one of those morale and teamwork-boosting exercises you love so much."

"That's the only way I'm going to be able to justify this to the sheriff."

"Oh don't fret, we'll be back before you know it." Catherine said in a patronizing voice as they all left.

Ecklie continued to stare at the door, trying to understand what had just happened, and how he had been railroaded into agreeing. If he even had, he wasn't too sure.

A/N: Thanks again to those of you who have reviewed!


	4. ConfusedTransparent

A/N: This chapter's somewhat longer. Not much better, but it's a start. Again, there's method to my madness.

As the group left the building, Catherine, Sofia and Sara walked together, laughing at Ecklie.

"The look on his face, it was priceless!" Sofia said.

"Aww, do we feel bad for him?" Sara asked sarcastically.

"No!" the three said in unison.

In the parking lot, before the women went to their respective cars, Catherine stopped them.

"Hey, I told Lindsey that we'd go to the mall to pick up a few things for the trip. Do you two want to go too?"

"Sure."

"Ok."

"Good, follow me to my place. We'll pick up Linds, and go."

With that they got in to their cars and left.

As they left Catherine's place, they decided to all ride together. On the way to the mall, Lindsey chattered on and on about the four were going to do together, what stores and so on.

She quickly abandoned that plan when she saw a group of her friends there. Catherine had scarcely given her permission when Lindsey took off to join the other girls.

"Well, so much for female bonding." Sara quipped.

"At least now we don't have to watch what we say." Said Sofia.

"Let's get a move on then." Catherine prompted.

As they searched for what they wanted, they talked about what they were going to pack.

"So," Catherine said to Sofia, "What are you gonna pack for Nicky?"

Sofia didn't answer, she just blushed and continued to peruse the rack of clothes.

"Oh come on Sofia, it's pretty obvious that something is going on between you two!" said Sara.

"There's nothing going on…yet."

"I knew it! So what are you going to take?" Catherine queried.

"I don't know. Can we not talk about this right now?"

Sara started laughing mischievously, and the other two turned to look at her.

"What is it Sara?" Sofia asked, glad for a way out of the conversation.

"Look what's right over there…"

"Oooh." Catherine said.

It was Victoria's Secret. They knew it time to really go shopping.

"Sofia, you should try to find something to wear for Nicky." Said Catherine.

"Oh. I don't know. I've never shopped for anything like that, I'm going to need some help."

"Why don't you try, and we'll see how you do." Suggested Sara.

Catherine and Sara left Sofia to it, while they went to find what they were looking for.

"Oooh, look at this!" Sara said, holding up a lacy, pink baby-doll set.

"I don't know if he'd really like that." Catherine said with a sly smile.

"You don't think so? I mean…I wasn't…I'm not…oh forget it! That transparent?"

"Yeah, but it's ok. I'll help you find something he'd like."

"Really? Thanks."

A few minutes later, Sara had a black lace set in hand, and they were heading over to save a lost and confused-looking Sofia, laughing hysterically. It was hilarious to them to see the sure, and assertive Sofia looking so helpless and confused.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews; they're a super help!


	5. The Drive

A/N: This chapter's pretty long, for me anyway. Hope you like it! The Drive 

Driving back to Catherine's house, Sofia sat in the backseat with her head in her hands.

"Why did I let you guys talk me into buying that?"

"Oh come on, it's adorable, and you know Nicky'll love it!"

"But…but…"

"No buts, it's perfect." Said Catherine.

"But what if he-"

"Of course he'll like it." Interrupted Sara.

"No, what if he's not interested?"

"Who? Nick?" asked Lindsey.

"Even she knows?" Sofia asked miserably.

"I think it's sweet," said Lindsey, "you and Nick, Sara and-"

She stopped at the look that her mother gave her in the rearview mirror. Sara just stared out the window, not saying anything.

Determined to change the subject, Sofia asked, "And what about you Lindsey? Anyone special?"

"Well…no…"

"Why do you say it like that? There is someone, isn't there?"

"Umm…Oh Mom, by the way, while we're there, can I get ski lessons?"

"I don't know Linds. Why don't you just ask Greg if he can teach you?"

"Ok." Lindsey said, mock-dejectedly. She hung her head, but was smiling broadly.

Sofia, being in the backseat with Lindsey, noticed the smile and knew who it was that she had a crush on. Sofia started 'coughing' to mask her laughter. Both Catherine and Sara turned around to see what the problem was.

"You ok, Sofia?" Sara asked.

"I…I'm fine." Sofia was still trying to stop laughing.

Early the next morning, the group met in the parking lot of CSI HQ, the most central and convenient location.

"So, how are we riding there?" Warrick asked.

"We should probably ride in groups, so that we don't have to take as many vehicles." Grissom suggested.

"Yeah, and then we can switch-up later so that nobody has to drive the whole way." Nick said.

After a lot of discussion, they decided who was riding with whom, and which of them were going to drive the first half. Grissom was going to drive, with Catherine, Lindsey and Sara with him. Greg was driving with Warrick and Tina. Nick was the third driver, with Sofia and Brass.

Gris wasn't all that happy that he was riding with Sara, but Catherine had insisted that he ride with the three of them. His plan to avoid Sara as much as possible had not started out well, since he was to spend hours in a car with her. _I can handle this_, he thought, _I'll just avoid any further contact_.

Meanwhile, Nick had also been worrying about who he was riding with. Brass wasn't a problem, but Sofia was another story. He wasn't entirely sure that she was interested in him, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself in case she was. _I'll just try to keep my cool and everything'll be ok_, he thought as they left Vegas.

In the first car, Catherine sat in front with Grissom, while the other two sat in back. Lindsey suggested they play the alphabet game.

"But Lindsey, it's more fun with more people." Catherine said.

"Exactly, you guys can use the walkie-talkie things on your cell phones so that everyone can play."

Sara said, "Sounds like fun, I'll call the others to see if they want to play."

It took some convincing, but they all agreed to play in the end. They decided that the theme would be winter/Christmas, to go along with the trip. Lindsey started.

"A…angel."

"Alleluia" said Catherine.

"A Christmas Carol" Sara said.

The others all eventually came up with an 'A'. They continued through the alphabet, until they got to Z. Nobody could come up with one, until someone said, "Zipped coats?"

"Nice Greg, lame but no one else has anything better, so we'll give it to you." Lindsey laughed.

By the time they had finished, they were nearing their halfway point. It would only be another hour before they switched.

Brass had fallen asleep close to the end of the game, and Nick's nerves had started to get worse. He was, essentially, alone with Sofia. She on the other hand was glad the Jim had fallen asleep. She had talked with Catherine and Sara and they had suggested that she find out for herself if Nick was interested. She stated flirting and being more 'touchy-feely' than she normally was. Nick had a hard time concentrating on driving during that hour.

When the time came to switch, they all pulled into a rest stop and got out. Sara and Sofia decided to ride with Catherine, so that they could talk about the guys. Grissom, Brass, Lindsey and Greg were going to ride together. And Nick was to ride with Warrick and Tina.

As the group continued on, Sofia told the other women about what had happened with her and Nick. They were going to have fun when they got there. Sara and Catherine were excited for her, but Sara couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. She had spent years trying to get to Grissom, but to no avail. She said as much to the other two. They told her to try and have some 'fun' while they were there. They also reminded her that there would be loads of cute guys at the resort, and that she should take advantage of that and forget about Gil. Sara agreed and told herself that she wasn't going to let Grissom ruin her holiday.

Before they knew it, they had arrived.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!


	6. The Arival

The Arrival

They'd spent the better part of the day driving, so it was already dark when they arrived. It was lovely there.

_It must have been the mistletoe_

_The lazy fire, the falling snow_

_The magic in the frosty air_

_That feeling everywhere_

_It must have been the pretty lights_

_That glistened in the silent night_

_It may be just the stars so bright_

That shined above you 

Grissom had been right in assuming that the atmosphere up there would be conducive to romance. It was beautiful. The remote location meant that the stars that they never saw in Vegas were visible. The large building was decked out in Christmas lights and decorations. It's beautiful, Sara thought, but it's FREEZING! Everyone was immediately charmed by the place.

They lugged their baggage into the lobby and checked in. they were in a huge suite with 5 separate bedrooms, plenty to fit them all. The problem remained, however, of who would room with whom. After some debate, it was decided that it would be Catherine and Lindsey, Warrick and Tina, Sara and Greg, and Grissom and Brass. They split of into their rooms to unpack.

"So," Catherine said once they were done, "how about we go down and get something to eat?"

They all whole-heartedly agreed, they hadn't eaten any thing except some fast food much earlier in the day. They group headed down the restaurant.

One they'd finished, they sat in front of the fireplace in their room talking and laughing.

"Oh Lindsey," Catherine said turning her attention to her daughter, "Why don't you ask Greg if he would mind giving you a lesson tomorrow?"

"Huh?" Greg's ears perked at the sound of his name.

"Greg, Lindsey wants to ask you something." Catherine explained, everyone's attention to Lindsey.

"What's up Linds?" Greg asked.

"Ummm…uhhhh…wondering if you could…like, maybe teach me how to ski?" She struggled to say. She was beet red.

Sofia, knowing why, struggled not to bust out laughing. She was making odd noises, so Nick gave her a strange and confused look. Sofia shook her head, barely containing her laughter. Sara and Catherine turned toward her with questioning looks, she mouthed that she'd tell them later. Lindsey, realizing that Sofia knew, was mortified and quickly left the room. Once she was gone, Sofia took the other two aside and told them what had happened in the car. They all laughed hysterically.

"How sweet, her first older-man crush." Sara said.

"Hope she grows out of it, unlike **some** people." Catherine said teasingly.

As they'd been talking, the others had all gone to bed, so the three of them followed suit. It had been a really long day.

A/N: Sorry that it took so long for me to update, I've been out of town for the holiday. I know that this is another short chapter, but I want to try to keep the song verses sort of separated.


	7. Rock Bands And Sledding Hills

Rock Bands And Sledding Hills

The next morning, they all woke up early. While they ate breakfast, they discussed what they were going to do for the day.

"Gotta get out on the slopes. Hey Lindsey, why don't we start your lessons this afternoon?" Greg said.

She blushed and nodded. Sara, Catherine and Sofia and fought to not bust out laughing. Lindsey just glared at them. Greg looked around lost as to what was so funny.

They all decided what to do and started to head off. Once Sara, Lindsey, and Grissom had left the room, Catherine and the others quickly decided that they needed to have a 'meeting' to figure out what they need to do about Sara and Grissom. They couldn't stand the tension between them, it was ridiculous. With that they split up to enjoy their first full day at the resort.

Catherine, Sara, Lindsey and Sofia had decided to go ice-skating. They rented skates and got out on the ice. Sara, to the other's surprise was quite good. The rest of them could stand and move around a bit, but nothing beyond that.

Sara loved to skate. It had been one of the very few constants in her life as she'd grown up. Even after being sent into foster care, she'd always managed to find a rink to go to at least once in a while. Sara was enjoying herself so much that she didn't notice the man standing at the side of the rink watching her.

Grissom stood to the side observing Sara. She seemed so peaceful out on the ice, it made his smile that skating made her so happy. But it also made him a bit sad that there could be nothing between them, he so wanted to make her as happy as she was when she was skating. But he became immediately on guard when he saw a guy skate up and start talking to her. But he stopped himself, he had no right to be angry at their obvious flirting. She wasn't his, and he had no reason to be so territorial. He quickly left the rink.

Sara, though, was having a good time. The guy's name was Shawn and he wasn't at all bad looking. She decided that he would make a great distraction.

"So, Shawn, are you here with anybody? Friends, or…" Sara asked.

"I'm here with my bandmates." He replied.

"Really? So you're in a band." Sara said mischievously.

"Yeah. Hey, we're meeting up in a little while for lunch, you wanna come?"

"Ok…"

"Wait aren't you here with anyone?"

"Yeah, but I'll just catch up with them later."

"Who you with?"

"Friends."

"Really? How many?

"Oh…" Sara thought for a moment "Ten, including myself."

"Big family?"

"No, eight of us are coworkers, one's daughter and another's wife."

"Coworkers? What do you do?'

"We're with the Las Vegas Police Department."

"Cops?"

"Two are, the rest of us are criminalists, scientists."

"Cool. Hey, we're supposed to meet at one, it's 5 'till. Wanna head over?"

"Alright…" Sara said, a little unsure.

"Don't worry" Shawn said, understanding, "They'll love you. Just don't mind them, they can be a bit 'odd' sometimes."

Sara laughed. "Ok. And I don't mind 'odd'. You haven't seen anything 'till you've met my crew. Talk about strange. We range from the young and wild to the seasoned, veteran detective."

"And you all get along?"

For the most part. No one gets along all of the time."

"Too true."

As they'd been talking they had arrived at the restaurant. Shawn proceeded to introduce her to his friends.

"Hey guys, this is Sara. I invited her to have lunch with us." The three guys smiled and waved.

"Sara, this is Sam, Josh and Trevor." Indicating each of them.

As they ate, they got to know one another better.

"So, Sara, tell us about yourself. Where're you from, what you do, the usual." Sam said.

"Well, I live in Vegas, originally for California. I'm a CSI with the Las Vegas police department. What else do you want to know?"

"Who're you here with?" Trevor asked.

"Friends."

"She's here with nine other people, seven of which are her coworkers!" Shawn told the guys.

"Geeze!" Josh exclaimed.

"Anyways, what about you all?" Sara asked, taking the focus off her.

"Well, our band's called the Brothers On The Rox, we're from Jersey…" Sam said.

The group went through the regular get-to-know-you stuff and such, until they'd finished eating. Just as they were about to get up and leave, Catherine and Sofia came into the restaurant looking for Sara. When they found her at a table with four very good-looking guys, they were a bit worried that she might be overcompensating a little.

"Sara, there you are! We've been looking all over for you! You left the rink, and then no one had seen you since. We were worried." Catherine said.

"We managed to convince everyone to go sledding. But we had to find you first." Sofia explained.

"Great!" Sara said to them. Then she told the guys that it had been nice to meet them all and that she'd see them around.

"Sara, have fun, but please make sure you don't get into any trouble." Catherine pleaded as they left.

"It's ok, I can take care of myself. I'll be careful, I'm not stupid."

"Good. I don't want anything to happen to you."

The rest of the group was waiting outside for them. They were all ready to go.

"Finally!" Greg said. "Where've you been Sara?"

"I had lunch with some people I met."

Sara's tone told the others not to pursue the subject any further. Greg didn't get the hint.

"Who? We haven't even been here a whole day, and you've already found people you like better than us?" Greg asked teasingly.

"Just drop it ok? Let's just forget and have some fun."

"Great idea, lets get going already!" Sofia agreed.

The group headed off towards the sledding hill. Grissom caught up with Catherine.

"Who was she with?" He inquired.

"Some people. Why do you care?"

"Men?"

"If you must know, yes. But it's none of your business. Maybe you shouldn't have taken so long to care." With that, Catherine walked away to talk to Warrick.

Is it really too late? Grissom thought. He mentally shook himself; he had to stop thinking about her. It wasn't good, for either of them.

The group arrived at the top of the hill, dragging toboggans and sleds. As the others grouped together and started down, Grissom and Brass backed away, not really wanting to try it. Sara wasn't about to let that happen. She went over to them, determined to get them to go.

"Come on you two! You'll miss all the fun!" Sara said overly cheerily.

"Please, what could be so great about sliding down a hill, only to have to walk back up?" Brass asked sarcastically.

Sara, realizing that she wasn't going to get anywhere with Jim, attempted to appeal to Grissom.

"Come on Gris. Think of it as…like a roller coaster!"

"Well, I don't know…" He said, unsure.

"Please…" She countered, using puppy-dog-eyes on him.

He thought for a moment. When he opened his mouth to respond, Sara didn't give him a chance. She grabbed his wrist and a sled and ordered him to sit. He did, but took her by surprise and pulled her onto the sled too. The momentum had them flying down the hill before they were ready. Startled, they clung to each other. At the bottom, they hit a snow bank and flew off. Right on top of one another. They locked eyes for a fleeting moment before hurriedly separating.

_Our first Christmas,_

_More than we'd be dreaming of,_

_Ah, St.Nicholas had his fingers crossed_

_That we would fall in love._

Something had sparked in that moment. And it scared the hell out of them both.

A/N: Soooooooooo! Sorry it took so long to update, I got totally suck. I also was trying to make this chapter longer. Hope it's ok! Thanks, as always, for your reviews!


	8. Operation Mistletoe

Chapter- 8

Operation Mistletoe

The rest of the day was spent with an abundance of tension between the two. The others noticed and had their meeting after they'd gone to bed. They gathered in front of the fireplace to figure out what to do about Sara and Grissom. Earlier in the day, it had seemed like Sara would just distract herself with Shawn, but Grissom had put a stop to that by establishing that connection between them. Something had to be done.

"What do you all think?" Catherine asked quietly.

"Oh, I have an idea." Nick said. "Have any of you seen Miracle On 34th Street?"

They all said that they had.

"Remember what Kris did to get the two married?"

"I don't think we want to go that far, yet." Warrick said, unsure.

"I don't mean that. I mean, get them alone together, put fake invitations from one another in their rooms and set it up for them to do something romantic."

"Yeah. Like I saw that there's these late-night carriage rides that they do. We could send them on one together." Sofia said, liking the idea.

"Great idea. Let's call it operation Mistletoe. How about tomorrow night?" Greg suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Catherine said. "We'll have to get it together in the morning. Can anyone manage to forge the handwriting?"

"I think I can manage Sara's chicken scratch. But I've never paid attention to Gris'" Nick said.

"I can do it, I've seen his enough that I think I can manage." Brass offered.

"Great, we'll get started after breakfast." Catherine said, ending the 'meeting'.

Morning started without any hitch. Once everyone set off for the day, operation mistletoe was put into action. Nick and Brass managed to find a moment to themselves to write out the invitations, and Sofia and Catherine set out to book the sleigh ride. Sara and Grissom had no clue that anything was going on. Things were looking good.

Sara was meeting up with Shawn that morning; he wanted to go hiking with her. As they set off, Grissom stood watching them, feeling the green-eyed monster start to creep out. He quickly looked away to avoid doing anything stupid. He searched desperately for something to distract himself. Jim had abandoned him earlier, for no apparent reason, so he was of no help. Walking aimlessly, he spotted something he would rather have not seen. Sofia and Nick wrapped up in each other, oblivious to the outside world. The obvious display of affection did nothing to improve his mood. Nor did seeing Greg with some snowbunny, or Warrick with his wife, or any of the many couples he passed. _Why does it always seem that everyone is happily in love when you're not?_ He wondered, going inside to his room to read. He spent the next few hours with the books that he'd brought along. He had thought that reading would help improve his mood. But not even the entomology articles helped his defeated attitude. He ventured out after a while to get some lunch, again he saw Sara with Shawn, they were sitting closer than he liked. But he reminded himself yet again that it was none of his business. He went back to the room as quickly as possible. Once he'd finished eating, he went for a walk, avoiding as many couples as possible. By the time he got back, it was after supper and dark. Going to the still empty room, he noticed an envelope on the table next to his bed. _The handwriting looks like…but it couldn't be_. He opened it to find a note. He read the letter.

Grissom,

Meet me out front at eight. Dress warmly.

Sara

He was very confused. She hadn't spoken to him all day, now she was inviting him to…he didn't know what. He decided that the only way he would know would be to go. Looking at the clock, it was already seven-thirty, he went to get ready.

Sara was in the lounge with Shawn and his friends when the waitress came over.

"Are you Sara Sidle?" She asked.

"Yes."

"I was told to give this to you when you came in." She said, handing Sara an envelope with her name on it.

"Who gave his to you?"

"I was told to tell you to just read it. Have a good evening Miss." The waitress said, and walked away.

Sara opened it cautiously. Inside was a note in familiar handwriting. _It couldn't be. _She thought, then read it.

Sara,

Meet me out front at eight. Dress warmly.

Grissom

Sara stared at it, confused.

"Who's it from?" Shawn asked.

"Oh, just one of my friends."

Sara looked at the clock, it was ten to eight. She got up and left quickly, grabbing her jacket. There was no time to change.

In front of the building sat a carriage. Grissom stood alongside it, looking lost. They looked at each other a moment.

"Did you arrange this?" Sara asked.

"No, you did."

"Oh, I did?"

"You didn't?"

"I didn't. Did you?"

"I didn't."

"You did. I know you did."

"Oh no."

"You did."

They both turned and looked at the driver.

"Are you ready?" He asked them.

"For what?" Sara asked.

"For your sleigh ride."

He showed them the booking with their names on it. They looked at each other and shrugged. They got in, and took the first step towards resolving the tension.

_It could have been the holiday,_

_The midnight ride upon a sleigh,_

A/N: The banter at the sleigh is from the new Miracle On 34th Street movie, it's not my creation. I know I've been updating slowly, but I almost promise to have it done by Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

SSidle


	9. How Sweet,

Chapter- 9

How sweet, And Hilarious.

The next morning proved to be somewhat awkward. Everyone seemed to be looking towards Sara and Grissom, who were getting along once more, as if expecting more from them. It made then both uncomfortable to be under such scrutiny. Not to mention the fact they knew that it had been the others who had set them up in the carriage. They purposely made no mention of it just to drive the conspirators crazy. It worked. The only problem was that the lack of details was putting the wrong idea in their heads. It was assumed that something romantic happened. When in reality, the only thing that had gone on was that they called a truce and decided to torture those who had set the outing up. Nothing else. Sara didn't show it, but she was disappointed, again. Grissom was relieved that nothing more had become of the evening, he knew that if anything had, he wouldn't be able to give it up, and that just wasn't acceptable.

As the group sat together eating breakfast, they decided to meet up later in the day so that they could see the movie that was to be playing at the resort. Everyone loved the old claymation Christmas movies. After breakfast, the group took a walk outside. It was a beautiful day and they didn't want it to go to waste, the forecast was calling for a major snowstorm starting the next day.

_The countryside all dressed in white,_

Greg was walking ahead of Lindsey with Nick and Sofia when a snowball hit him in the back of the head. Turning around, he saw Lindsey giggling uncontrollably. He himself started laughing and let one fly at her, hitting Lindsey dead center. Nick, getting caught up in the fun, flung one at Sofia. Pretty soon everyone was in on the fun. Everyone but Grissom. Sara decided that that just wouldn't do. She sent one flying right at his chest. It startled him when it hit, he pretended to be angry at first. But as soon as Sara turned away from him, he got her back. His hit Sara right on the butt. She turned and saw Gris laughing.

"You have horrible aim." She teased.

"Oh really? I thought I hit the target pretty well."

Sara just blushed.

_The crazy snowball fight,_

Instead of saying anything, she resumed participating in the snowball fight. _What the hell did you think you were doing? This is supposed to be exactly what you're trying to avoid! _Grissom thought, before following Sara's example and rejoining the fight. Even though the two acted as if nothing had happened, the others had all noticed. The cheered silently, the plan was working.

That night at the movie, they were all in high spirits. Nothing had happened to cause any tension. In fact, Nick and Sofia's budding romance seemed to be flourishing. They had rarely been seen apart in the time that they'd been at the resort, and now they sat together holding hands in the dark. It was so sweet, but it made those not in a relationship a bit jealous. The only problem that was an issue was one that only one of the group knew about. Tina was a bit jealous by nature, and when she saw that Catherine was always around, her suspicion kicked in. There was nothing between Catherine and Warrick, they'd worked that out long ago, but she had a difficult time believing it. Even as they watched the movie, Catherine sat next to Warrick, talking softly to him every once in a while. Even though she was only commenting on the movie, an her memories of watching it with Lindsey as her daughter had grown up, Tina didn't know that and it made her angry. The others were oblivious to the tension. Brass noticed that Sara sat on Grissom's other side. He's totally clueless, Jim thought as he watched the two make a running commentary on the movie to one another. They were completely blind to see how great they would be together, and how close they already were. Despite Grissom's constant denial. He had to stifle a chuckle at how dense that man could be. He was the stupidest smart person he knew.

When the movie had finished, the group got up to make their way back to the room. Tina took Warrick's hand and possessively dragged him off somewhere so that they could talk. No one even noticed that they'd left. Nick and Sofia went off to find somewhere that they could be alone. And Grissom walked Sara back to the room. Catherine, Lindsey, Greg and Brass had to fight not to burst out laughing as they walked to the room behind Sara and Grissom. Without thinking, they walked along hand in hand, completely unaware that they were. Again the others did a little victory dance in their heads. The two of them were moving quickly toward a relationship, and they didn't even realize it.

Back in the room, Sara and Grissom sat next to each other in front of the fireplace. Outside bells chimed. Unsure of where they came from, they all looked around.

"Every time a bell rings and angel gets its wings." Sara quipped, quoting one of her favorite Christmas movies.

The lovely music of the bells had Sara sighing and she laid her head on Grissom's shoulder without even realizing it. Catherine watched from the other side of the room, knowing that Sara probably wasn't going to need a distraction for much longer.

_It could have been the steeple bell,_

_That wrapped us up within its spell,_

A short while later, Sara's head was still on his shoulder, but her breathing had slowed and she no longer spoke. She was fast asleep. Grissom gently moved from under her, and picked her up, careful not to wake her. He carried her into her room and tucked her in. The tender gesture had Catherine and Lindsey go all sappy, and Greg and Brass want to gag. They all wanted to laugh though. Grissom was so smitten and didn't even realize it, nor would he admit it if he did. It was so sweet, and hilarious. Soon they all went to bed, not bothering to wait up for the others.

A/N: Hope you like this chapter. I tried to be a bit more descriptive, at your request. I know there's not much dialogue, but I hope you still like it.

Lots of love and Happy Holidays,

SSidle


	10. The Mistletoe

Chapter- 9

The Mistletoe

Sara awoke early the next morning utterly confused. She had no idea how she'd gotten into bed, and only vaguely how she'd gotten back to the suite. What she did remember seemed totally impossible. She shook her head, she needed coffee. Sara quietly got dressed and went down to the restaurant with her book. There were very few people there at that hour, and Sara was surprised to see that one of them was Grissom. He looked up and waved her over to join him. At the table, Sara looked over Gris's shoulder to see what he was working on. The image on his laptop was one of some sort of butterfly,

"Can't get away from work?"

"This isn't work, simply for pleasure."

"So, what did you think of the movie last night. You said that you hadn't seen it."

"No, I hadn't. I enjoyed it."

"Yeah, that's my favorite of the claymations."

They lapsed into an awkward silence. Neither knew what to say. Sara was trying to figure out if what she recalled about last night was real or if she had simply dreamed it. Grissom was trying to regain his cool professionalism with her that he'd demolished the night before. But he was finding it to be nearly impossible. Finally the waitress coming over broke the silence. Their orders were identical, as usual. Grissom knew that he had to shut off what he was feeling, it was dangerous. But it was getting more difficult by the moment.

The two sat in silence for a while, Grissom working on his computer and Sara reading her novel. When Gris had finished what he was doing, he looked up and saw Sara immersed in her book.

"What are you reading?" He asked, curious.

"Oh. It's just a crime novel."

"Who can't get away from work?" Gris said sarcastically.

"This isn't work, simply for pleasure." She replied cheekily.

"What's it about?"

"A female forensic anthropologist, who works in both Charlotte, NC and Montreal."

"Really, sounds interesting."

"It is. It's a whole series of novels."

"Are they just about cases?"

"No, they also go through her family and romantic situations. She's divorced with a daughter in college and has an interesting love life."

"How so?"

"She has a thing for someone who's sort of her coworker, and she isn't sure about a relationship, she's afraid it won't work and she has reservations about being with someone she works with."

"What happens?"

"So far, he's managed to convince her to give it a try."

"Hmmm. So do you think it'll work out?"

"I don't know, I think it will, but she'll have to give it a chance."

By now they both knew that they were no longer talking about the novel. But it was a good cover to discuss their own situation. Before they could continue, Sophia and Nicky entered the restaurant and came over to their table.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Nick asked, way too cheery for his own good. Just by looking at the two of them, Sara knew what had happened between them.

"You two are awful chipper for so early in the morning." Sara said, letting them know that she knew what they'd done.

"It's just a lovely day." Sophia said pointedly, making it clear that she got the point. Grissom just sat there, completely clueless.

"Anyway, so when is it supposed to start snowing?" Nick asked, desperate to change the unspoken subject.

"They said it would start sometime this morning." Grissom told them, referring to the predicted snow storm.

The four sat there for a while discussing what there was to do inside the lodge for when it started snowing. After a while, the others started showing up. Catherine and Lindsey were the last to turn up.

"Sorry we took so long, I couldn't get _someone_ away from the mirror." Catherine said, apologizing.

"Hey I'm not allowed to care how I look?" Lindsey said in her own defense.

"It's ok Linds, we understand why." Sara teased. Lindsey blushed and muttered something about it not being fair.

"Hey, how come you all pick on me, but not Sara or Sophia or…or Grissom! They all like someone, so why don't you tease them!"

"We do, but your just more fun to tease." Warrick told her.

"It's still not fair."

"Would you like us to tease them more?" Catherine said mischievously.

"Yes. A lot more." Lindsey said, happy with the promise of revenge.

After breakfast, they split up to find something to amuse themselves. It had started snowing, and it didn't look like it would be stopping any time soon. Greg, Lindsey, and Nick all disappeared to the arcade right away. Warrick and Tina went off somewhere alone and Sara, Catherine and Sophia went off to talk. Brass and Grissom were left to their own devices. They simply went back to what they'd been doing before, Brass reading and Grissom working on his computer. Sara, Catherine and Sophia went to the lounge so that the rest of the group wouldn't interrupt them.

"So, what happened?" Catherine demanded of Sophia as soon as they sat down.

"I think you already figured that out, considering that you're asking."

"So what. Tell us anyway. Why so out of the blue?" Sara demanded.

"Well, nothing major. It just kind of happened."

"Really? That doesn't seem like Nicky." Catherine said.

"Well, he didn't act like the normal, quiet Nicky either." Sophia said with a naughty smile.

"Ok, too much information." Sara said, getting a bad mental image.

"Hey you asked." Sophia said wickedly.

"Anyways, what about you Sara?" Catherine asked, changing the subject.

"What about me?" Sara asked, confused.

"Last night. Grissom being all sweet and romantic."

"Ummm."

"What? Do you not remember?"

"Only vaguely, and I thought I'd dreamt it."

"Are you serious? I'm sorry. But to tell you, I hope your not too attached to your distraction, 'cause I think Gris is quickly changing his mind."

"Do you really think so?" Sara asked hopefully.

"Yeah. He's totally smitten." Sophia reassured.

Sara smiled happily. The other two hoped that Grissom wouldn't let her down, just like he always had. They'd make sure that he didn't, at least not without suffering serious consequences.

Later that evening, the group met again for dinner. At the table, Sophia and Catherine made sure that Sara and Grissom were seated next to one another. Lindsey sat across from Greg, she wasn't all that interested in her food. Nick and Sophia were in their own little world, wrapped up in one another. Sara and Grissom sat in an awkward silence. They weren't sure what to say. They were sitting quite close and they weren't at all used to it. Once the group was finished eating, they headed back to the room. Sara and Grissom in front. They stopped for a moment to wait for the others in the doorway. The others, once they'd caught up, noticed what was above the pair. As they turned to leave, Greg stopped them.

"Hey, look up."

They did and saw that they were standing under the mistletoe.

"You have to kiss now." Catherine said happily.

Sara and Gil looked at one another and shrugged. Everyone expected them to ignore the tradition. But they moved closer and before the others knew it, the two were lip-locked. After a few minutes, they were still at it and the others simply left them there, knowing that they'd need a moment to themselves when they realized what they'd done.

When the two separated a short while later, they went into immediate shock. They couldn't believe what they'd just done. They backed up and simply started at one another. Neither could believe it, the spark between them had flared brightly in that one moment, and neither wanted that to go away. But they just couldn't allow themselves to give in. Grissom was fighting himself more than ever to not be with her. Sara was struggling not to cry, she knew that he would never allow something to happen, and she wanted it to now more than ever. It was going to be hard between them, it always would. But that kiss had shown them that they could overcome that tension. The question remained, however, if they would ever allow themselves to find out.

_It only took one kiss to know,_

_It must have been the mistletoe._

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I was busy with Christmas stuff, then I had a total block. Sorry it wasn't done by the holiday, but I just didn't have the time.


	11. Fin

Christmas eve dawned bright and cold. And with a ton of snow. The past few days, it had snowed constantly. The countryside was beautiful and layered with many many inches of snow, which reflected the sunlight to make it look like everything had been thickly coated in glitter.

Sara stood at the window, having gotten up early enough to see the gorgeous sunrise. She debated how early to wake the others. Sara was surprised that Lindsey wasn't up yet, most kids were. Before she could decide, she was startled by someone putting their hands on her shoulders. She turned around and was face to face with Grissom. She was taken aback; they had avoided one another like the plague since the…incident. He smiled at her and she felt oddly reassured, like everything was going to be ok. He moved in and gently kissed her. When he pulled back, he laughed softly at the look of shock and pleasure on her face. He had finally decided to give in to what he was feeling. He only hoped it wasn't too late.

"Good morning, Sara."

"Morning…" Sara said, unsure about what was going on.

"Beautiful day. I'm glad it finally stopped snowing."

"Yeah…" She replied, still highly confused.

The others started trickling in, silently smiling that the two were wrapped up in one another's arms. The plan had worked. They were finally together, something everyone had wanted for a long time.

After breakfast the group went and joined the guests in singing Christmas carols and such. They had tons of fun. The mood was better than it had been in a long time. They all laughed when they realized that Ecklie was going to have a cow when he found out that Sara and Grissom were together. His two favorite people in collaboration. It was going to be great.

Our first Christmas 

_More than we'd be dreaming of_

_Ah, St. Nicholas must have know that kiss_

_Would lead to all of this!_

As the group sat in front of the fire before bed, they told stories of past Christmases, both happy and sad. Sara told of her unhappy Christmases in foster care. Grissom talked about his first Christmas after his father left. Catherine described Lindsey's first Christmas. Greg and Nicky both told everyone else what Christmas was like with a large families. And so on, everyone shared a precious holiday memory. This trip had brought the already close group even tighter. The couples sat snuggled close, the atmosphere was so incredibly romantic.

It must have been the mistletoe 

_The lazy fire, the falling snow_

_The magic in the frosty air_

_That made me love you!_

As they headed off to bed, Greg gave Gris and Sara a look and grabbed his stuff to sleep on the couch in the main part of the room, he understood. The two of them went into the room and shut the door. They spent the rest of the night fulfilling their deepest desires for one another (A/N: no need to go into detail, you get the point.). As daybreak approached, they laid there looking deep into each other's eyes.

"Sara, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a very long time." At her look of anticipation he pulled her close and whispered into her ear. "I love you. Now, always, and forever."

"I love you too. I think I always have. And I always will."

On Christmas Eve our wish came true 

_That I would fall in love with you_

_It only took one kiss to know_

_It must have been the mistletoe!_

_It must have been the mistletoe!_

_It must have been the mistletoe!_

_One kiss to know_

_I love you so!_

They laid wrapped up in one another until they decided to wake the others. They wanted to open presents. It had definitely been a roller coaster of a Christmas, but it had been worth it. It had been a holiday to cherish forever.

A/N: There, it's finally done! Sorry it took so long, I couldn't come up with a good way to end it. Hope you enjoyed reading this story, I know I enjoyed writing it. Thanks so much for sticking with me, I know it's been a long time, it's really appreciated. I know that the holiday season is over, but Happy Holidays anyways!--SSidle


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